State Department Noon Briefing

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2000 - 12:45 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

Q: You have to check? And on Colombia, there is some reports that
members of FARC are working in Mexico. Do you have anything on that?
They are talking about connections between Mexican narco-traffickers
and FARC's.

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, and I'll have something for you on that later today.

....

Q: Still on Colombia. This week Ambassador Pickering told us that
there is great support in the region to Plan Colombia, but now the
problem with Venezuela shows the contrary. And you say you don't have
anything to say about it?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I mean, let's do three things, okay? I can't
anticipate every question that you might ask. Second of all, one
country doesn't make a region. And we've talked before - I've talked
here before with you after the Secretary's trip - about support in
the region for Plan Colombia. The support is there. Ambassador
Pickering said again it is there, and I don't think you should start
speculating, based on one event or one statement or one country, about
overall regional support for Plan Colombia.

We know the situation between Colombia and Venezuela is complicated,
and I am not going to jump in with both feet if I don't personally
happen to know about it.

Anything else?

Q: When you say later, the statement on Mexico and the FARC, that
means some people is going to put a statement officially on the
website?

MR. BOUCHER: That means we'll get you something in the afternoon, in
the course of the afternoon.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:20 P.M.)